I was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in the Fall of 2013. The news was shocking and sobering, especially considering I knew very few people who thrived with it. Scared beyond comprehension, filled with sleepless nights and worries dancing through my head, I thought I knew what that diagnosis meant. At the same time, publicity ramped up for Disney’s “Frozen,” but I didn’t pay attention. The movie opened Thanksgiving weekend and after the holidays, the world knew it was not only a box office hit, but the key to a young girl’s heart. I didn’t realize, it would be to mine, as well.

As the world was singing “Do you Want to Build a Snowman, ” I was anxiously awaiting my first set of scans after being diagnosed. My mind was filled with wildly ranging thoughts:

Was this the calm before the storm? Would the results show tremendous growth and I would only have a few months or years left?

If so, would my child really know me? Should we tell him or not?

Will my new treatments debilitate me? Will I feel like myself? Will I be myself?

Happy New Year. We’re excited to launch the Pretty Wellness Small Steps 2018 Challenge. Each day, our team will share wellness tips and thoughts to help inspire you to make a few healthy changes this year. As always, our content is aimed to assist you to find ways to add healthy habits to your life easily.

Do you use the New Year as an annual health seminar with yourself? In the past, I would host my own personal white board session, brainstorming all the ways I wanted to better myself in the coming year. These included exercising daily, losing weight, dining out less, reading more high-brow literature, analyzing business trade publications weekly and drinking less soda. I loved the idea of a new and improved me, but seldom made it past week two. According to Forbes, Only 8% of people actually achieve their New Year’s resolutions. I clearly was in the 92%. So now, after a year of living clean, embracing a plant-based diet, yoga, powerwalking and using green products, I’ve comprised a list of 18 simple wellness tips. Hopefully, these will make it easy for you to pick an easily-attainable goal so you can take small steps toward better health and overall wellness.

We all have vices. Mine used to be sugar…and cheese…and diet soda…and creamy alcoholic drinks and the list continued on and on. However, when I first started researching healing and disease prevention modalities, I quit eating ALL this crud and haven’t looked back. I also prioritized fitness or simply being active and played with mindfulness techniques. The one area, call it my vice, that I have not given up has been drinking wine.

I love bright lights and shimmery glitter. I love finding reasons to celebrate. And I love to be LOVED, which is why I absolutely cherish the holiday season. Beyond the parties, presents and dressed up people, what truly makes the holiday season special is the positivity that radiates. People come together to celebrate the season and enjoy each other. For all those celebrations and gift-giving events, we’re back with our fourth edition of the Pretty Wellness Healthy Holiday Gift Guide. Truly thoughtful gifts warm the hearts of both the giver and receiver. This is why I love sharing my favorite holiday gift ideas that promote wellness.

Holidays can be stressful. Organizing multiple family functions. Stress! Creating memorable experiences. Stress! Finding meaningful gifts at decent prices. Stress! It can all be overwhelming but it doesn’t have to be.

When it comes to being healthy, I’ve spent the last four years laser focused on how to live a clean aka healthy lifestyle focused on being well. As a two-time cancer survivor, most recently with stage IV disease, I research and try different wellness practices. I always search for modalities that work for me and then can share with others. My goal is to generate healthy living ideas to help make others’ lives easier. So as I jump into the holiday spirit, I’m sharing tips and tricks on how to stay healthy and bust stress this time of year. I believe that it’s all about taking smalls steps toward what you want…

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About Me

Caryn Sullivan is a wife, mother, former media professional, and cancer survivor who always finds a reason to smile. Pretty Wellness chronicles tips and tales on making the journey toward optimal health easy for her and her family. She traded in diet sodas, toxic make-up, and a chaotic routine for green juices, clean products, and a more-Zen lifestyle. Read Bio